Brynden Rivers
Brynden Rivers, also called Bloodraven, was a bastard son of King Aegon IV Targaryen, one of the so-called 'Great Bastards'. History Early life Brynden Rivers was the son of King Aegon IV Targaryen by his sixth mistress, Mysella 'Missy' Blackwood, born in 175 AL. Mysella's elevation at court came at the expense of Aegon's prior mistress, Barba Bracken, and her bastard son Aegor Rivers. As a result of this and their Houses' natural enmity, Aegor and Brynden grew up as fierce rivals. Brynden was an albino with a raven-shaped, blood-coloured birthmark covering part of his face, hence his nickname of 'Bloodraven'. Along with all of the noble-born bastards of the King, Bloodraven was legitimised on his father's deathbed and given Dark Sister, one of the two Targaryen Valyrian steel swords. During the Blackfyre Rebellion His rivalry with Aegor and, by extension, their mutual elder half-brother Daemon Blackfyre (who was close friends and allies with Aegor), made him a natural ally of Aegon IV's natural-born son and heir, Daeron II. When Daemon Blackfyre became convinced that Daeron was the illegitimate bastard of Aegon's sister-wife Naerys by their brother, Aemon the Dragonknight, he claimed the Iron Throne as the eldest natural-born son of Aegon IV in 195 AL. Aegor, by now a great knight nicknamed 'Bittersteel', joined in Daemon's rebellion, whilst Bloodraven swore fealty to King Daeron. Unlike the justice-obsessed Daeron and his 'honourable' warrior sons, Baelor and Maekar, Bloodraven was cold-blooded and ruthless. His unit of 300 elite archers, the Raven's Teeth, became one of the most feared battlefield formations in Daeron's army, known for shooting into their own ranks it if meant achieving larger enemy casualties. At the Battle of the Redgrass Field he refused to face Daemon in single combat, instead brutally shooting him and then his twin sons down with arrows from afar. Bittersteel cut out one of Bloodraven's eyes in a fury before being forced to flee due to the arrival of reinforcements. The rebellion was crushed and Bloodraven's loyalty proven. Bittersteel fled to the Free Cities and founded a mercenary company called the Golden Company, which swore an oath to destroy the Targaryens wherever they could find them. Later life Bloodraven became the Hand of the King to King Aerys I after Daeron's death in the Great Spring Sickness of 209 AL. He was removed from office by King Maekar when he took the crown. Some time after Aegon V took the throne in 233 he sent Bloodraven to the Wall for reasons unknown, escorted by Ser Duncan the Tall, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. There he became one of the more renowned Lord Commanders of the Night's Watch. Character and appearance Brynden was slim but reasonably well-built, although not as large and well-muscled as his brothers. He had milky-white skin and red eyes, along with a blood-red birthmark on his right cheek resembling a raven. Some regarded his appearance as being unsettling. After he lost an eye on the Redgrass Field, he usually refused to cover it up, adding to his fearsome aspect. Brynden Rivers was regarded as cold-hearted and ruthless, with only his half-sister Shiera Seastar apparently able to warm his heart. Although a formidable archer and a decent swordsman, he was not the equal in battle of his elder two half-brothers, Daemon and Aegor, with the latter severely wounding him in personal combat on the Redgrass Field before being forced to flee. Brynden's skin was sensitive to sunlight, so he usually went cloaked and hooded, even in clement weather. He wielded the Valyrian steel blade Dark Sister in combat. The fate of the sword after his exile to the Wall remains unknown. Category:Historical characters Category:House Targaryen Category:Great Bastards Category:Night's Watch Category:Lord Commander of the Night's Watch